Monday, March 18, 2013

St. Patty's Day!

It's been a little while since I've posted last, but fear not! I've been saving myself for a good recipe! I decided earlier this year that this St. Patty's Day I was going to make a completely homemade corned beef. The whole shebang! High quality brisket, brining, cooking... and I chronicled the whole process.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

I initially browsed through a myriad of recipes, finally going with a combo of the one on Robb Wolf's website and the one on Caveman Bistro. I then set off on my corned beef journey with a grass fed brisket, cut in half. I think mine was 4-5 pounds weight-wise.

I stuck it in a large stock pot and poured in my brine (recipe to follow). I then covered it with a heavy lid and stuck it in the fridge to sit for 7 days. Trust me, this is worth the wait...

Seven days later, I pulled out the brisket, drained the pot of the brine and rinsed off the meat. It's going to look somewhat gray. I know it looks a little gross, but I want to stress again that it's worth it.

I put the meat back in the pot with some fresh water, carrots and onions. Brought everything to a boil, reduced the heat and let it simmer for 2 hours.

After the two hours, I added the chopped cabbage and returned the mix to a simmer and let it cook for an additional 30 minutes. I added a little extra seasoning, to taste, and voila!

Corned Beef & Cabbage!

Ingredients:

1 4-5 lb grass fed brisket, cut in half

2 + 2 quarts water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

6 cloves garlic – crushed

1/4 cup salt

4 dried bay leaves

1 TBS whole peppercorns

1 TBS whole mustard seeds

1 TBS whole all spice

1 1/2 tsp whole cloves

1 head cabbage, outer leaves removed and cut into eighths

6 whole carrots (I guessed on this as my carrots were rather funny looking and all different shapes)

In a large stock pot, add the water, vinegar, garlic, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, whole all spice, and whole cloves, over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow the brine mixture to cook to room temperature.

Add the brisket to the pot and push it down so that it's submerged in the liquid. Cover the pot with a heavy lid and place it in the fridge. Leave it for 5-7 days. (I covered my pot with plastic wrap first and then a lid, as the cast iron lid I was using wasn't a snug fit. I let my brisket sit for the full 7 days.)

After done brining, remove the brisket and rinse it. Drain the pot of everything.

Pour another 2 quarts of water to the pot and add the brisket, carrots and onions, over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let cook for 2 hours.

Add the cabbage to the pot. Bring back to a simmer and let it cook for 30 minutes. Taste, adjust with the additional seasoning, if need be.

Take the pot off the heat and remove the brisket to a plate. Slice the meat against the grain in thin slices.

Serve the sliced meat on plates with the chopped cabbage, carrots and onions.

Enjoy!

This recipe takes a fair amount of patience and planning to pull off well. However, the flavors that come from this absolutely ROCK! I don't know if I can go back to eating other corned beef again... The meat was melt in your mouth tender and the cabbage perfectly cooked! Serve this up with a pint o' Guinness or cider and you'll be a very satisfied eater. (Plus, you can totally use the leftovers to make corned beef hash, reubens, or corned beef stew!)

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About Me

Hi! My name is Sarah and I'm addicted to searching for and trying out new recipes. What started as a way for me to develop my cooking skills and expand my culinary horizons, has turned into a bit of an obsession.

In the summer of 2012, I stumbled upon the Paleo diet and have since made the transition to follow that kind of lifestyle. Aka, I eat real food, lift heavy things and try to live a clean life.